* * *

“I think I’ve already apologized at least six times.”

“Six times? Do you think six apologies can make up for the pain I felt?”

Lumen let out a low sigh as he watched Aiden scream with his face flushed red. He had tried to approach him to mend the past, hoping to clear the lingering resentment after saving his life. He hadn’t expected that cutting off one of Aiden’s wings would turn into such a troublesome burden.

Aiden, once again enraged by Lumen’s lack of further apologies, grumbled.

“This is why humans shouldn’t be helped! I should convince everyone to attack humans right now!”

“Ha…… You don’t actually want my apology, do you? What exactly do you want me to do? Tell me.”

“Kneel down! Beg me while crying! Or, at the very least, give up one of your legs like I did!”

Kneeling wouldn’t be too difficult if it could prevent further discord with the fairy race. But he couldn’t be sure if Aiden would be satisfied with just that. The final demand to cut off his leg was something he could not agree to.

As Lumen pondered this amidst Aiden’s furious outbursts, a new voice interrupted.

“Ahaha! Still whining, I see, Aiden!”

“What? Lydon! Stay out of this.”

Lydon flew over to Lumen’s side. He ignored Aiden’s sharp glare and tapped at his ice wings.

“Hm, for mismatched wings, you’ve got quite a nice pair.”

“Don’t call them mismatched!”

“Don’t like that? Then how about I rip off the other one and make both wings ice wings?”

Lydon said it in a tone that was hard to tell if it was a joke or not, as he grabbed Aiden’s real wings. Aiden, horrified, jerked away from Lydon’s touch and stepped back.

“You……! Why are you stopping me from getting my apology? Have you grown attached to humans or something? Normally, you’d be with me, cutting off their legs!”

“Hmph, Aiden. It’s not that I’ve grown attached, it’s that I’ve grown wise.”

“What? Grown wise?”

“Right. Look at the situation now. We’re fighting this dangerous war, and you’re suggesting cutting off a human’s leg just because Lumen’s annoying and resembles Grandfather Melphis, even though his skills are useful? That’s a comment that doesn’t take the future into consideration.”

Aiden seemed less convinced by Lydon’s words and more taken aback by his shamelessness in claiming to have matured. After a brief moment of hesitation, as he searched for the right words, he spun around with an angry expression.

“I hate humans, and I hate you for siding with them!”

Aiden’s harsh words echoed as he stormed off, his steps firm and resolute. Lydon watched him go, then turned his gaze to Lumen, who spoke in a tone of gratitude.

“Thanks. I was struggling with how much I should accommodate him.”

“Wings are the life of a fairy.”

Lydon shifted his gaze to Lumen. There was a seriousness in his eyes that wasn’t usually there.

“Those wings are precious, the only thing that allows a lost race to dream of freedom. You took that away.”

“…….”

“But Aiden harassed Cadel, and you…… well, you resemble Grandfather Melphis.”

“Grandfather, huh…”

“I’ll let it slide this time!”

Lydon suddenly shifted his expression, breaking into a mischievous grin before soaring into the sky. As he flew off, his eyes scanned the ground, eventually locking onto a specific spot. There, Cadel, Hyron, and Melphis were gathered.

“Planning something important without me?”

Although no one called for him, Lydon descended toward them without a second thought. As he landed safely, Melphis’s angry voice reached his ears.

“Do humans not know satisfaction?”

Red eyes rolled toward him as Melphis surveyed the familiar faces. His expression was as fierce as usual, but today, it seemed even more intense. Hyron, trying to hide his emotions, couldn’t mask his deep unease. And then, there was Cadel.

“It’s too dangerous a battle to think about satisfaction. If the humans fall here, the Demon Realm will eventually be fully resurrected and swallow the world whole.”

Cadel’s face was a mix of guilt, desperation, and urgency. As he noticed Lydon a beat later, he looked troubled. Lydon smoothly stepped up beside him.

“Perfect timing, Lydon. Did you hear what your human asked of us?”

“Hm, didn’t they ask us to enter the Demon Realm and fight with them?”

“Exactly. Not only can they not promise any reward for the danger we’ve taken on, but they’re asking us to throw away our lives entirely.”

Melphis’s scornful accusation made Cadel lower his head. Lydon wrapped an arm around Cadel’s shoulder and frowned.

“Why are you picking on Cadel? You could say it more kindly!”

“You—!” 

“Enough, Melphis. Lydon, you’re the same. You’re standing here as a human knight, but we are not. Cadel’s suggestion is bound to feel difficult.”

Hyron stepped in, pushing aside both Melphis and Lydon, and reached out to Cadel. He gently lifted Cadel’s chin so that their eyes met, his face carrying a strange mix of sympathy.

“As I said, half of the fairy clan is still in the Forest of Enchantment. Among the elders, only Melphis followed me. I couldn’t convince half of them, and even those who followed me are unsure about their own fight.”

“……”

“I’m the Fairy King. I can’t send my people to certain death if they have no will to fight.”

Hyron let go of Cadel’s chin and looked into his eyes with a searching gaze. His eyes were relentless, as though trying to find something within Cadel’s grayish eyes. After a long moment of staring, just as Lydon was about to voice some dissatisfaction, Hyron gently spoke.

“But I can fight myself. In place of the Pinhai Tribe’s fairies, Lydon and I will enter the Demon Realm.”

“That’s madness, Lord Hyron!” 

Hyron’s decision shocked not only Melphis and the fairy warriors but also Cadel and the humans around them. 

Cadel let out a heavy sigh, watching Melphis angrily try to talk Hyron out of it.

‘If Hyron joins the war, we can create some hope even under these harsh conditions. That’s for sure.’

With the seal lifted by Lydon’s power, Hyron could use magic at a level similar to what he had been capable of while in the Forest of Enchantment, even outside of it. In simple terms, a magician more skilled than Lydon was now on their side. For the humans, this was truly a hopeful piece of news that could have them cheering.

But none of the knights, upon hearing the news, dared to show any excitement.

“Why should we fight for humans……? Fine, I’ll admit that we could help humans once, for Lydon’s sake. But not a second time, especially not with Lord Hyron himself going to fight in the dangerous Demon Realm! That’s completely ridiculous!”

Why should their king risk his life by heading into the Demon Realm, a place of death, for humans who had treated the fairies as enemies? The reason they had been trapped in the forest was because of humans in the first place.

The fairies’ anger shook the silent space, leaving the humans speechless. They had no say in the matter.

Hyron silently listened to the outcries of his kin trying to overturn his decision. But in his eyes, there was a firm resolve.

“Lord Hyron!”  

“Yes, Melphis. How about lowering your voice? If you don’t want to fuel everyone’s confusion, that is.”

“You can’t go to the Demon Realm. There are still kin in the forest who believe in the return of the king and are waiting for you!”

“Melphis. Calm down and look at me properly.”

Hyron gently took Melphis’s rough hand and pulled him closer. After naturally creating some distance between him and the warriors, he whispered in a soft tone that only Melphis could hear.

“Did you think I had little time left? I suppose you still think so now.”

“That’s……! What does that have to do with anything now?”

“When I faced Lydon upon his return to the Forest of Enchantment, I felt it. That child is ready to become the Fairy King. He has grown so much. If he had stayed only in the forest, he could never have grown this quickly.”

Hyron’s cautious gaze moved past Melphis, towards Lydon, who was standing quietly next to Cadel. Lydon was looking back and forth between Hyron and Melphis with a strange expression. At first glance, it would be hard to tell what emotions he was feeling, but Hyron knew. Lydon was worried about him.

“I trust Lydon. After everything is said and done, that child will become the Fairy King and lead the Pinhai Tribe.”

“……”

“So, as Lydon’s father, I will help him get out of the Demon Realm unharmed.”

“Lord Hyron…… you……”

Hyron smiled faintly as he watched the twisted expression on Melphis’s face.

“Since Lydon was born, I haven’t really acted like a father to him. I’ve always been harsh, pushing him forward. But at least once…… I want to be the strong father figure he needs.”